Microsoft drops the extra fee to patch 360 games

One of the big barriers for indie games on Microsoft’s Xbox 360 console is the fee they assess for every patch after the first one. We wrote about how it holds back developers and could be an issue for the upcoming Xbox One. According to Eurogamer, multiple sources have told them that Microsoft has changed that policy and no longer charges a fee to upload patches on the current console.

There are caveats, we understand. If a developer is deemed to be making an excessive number of re-submissions due to an update failing certification, for example, Microsoft reserves the right to issue a charge. But the changes should make critics of Microsoft’s closed platform happier – and align the Xbox ecosystem more closely with the likes of Steam.

The original policy was meant to be an incentive to developers to finalize their games before submission for Xbox certification. Hopefully, the policy update will carry forward to the Xbox One.